KID

TOPEKA — A national report says that Kansas auto insurance premiums are among the 14 lowest in the United States.

Information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows Kansans spent an average of $713.50 per vehicle for insurance in 2016, the last available reporting period. That number is 13th-lowest among the states, according to the NAIC.

The ranking assumes all insured vehicles carry liability coverage but not necessarily collision or comprehensive coverage. Consumers in Kansas aren’t required to carry collision and comprehensive, but coverage may be required by a lending institutions that carries the vehicle’s loan agreement.

The average cost of a policy in Kansas that contains all three types of coverage is $882.88, according to the latest NAIC figures, which ranks the state as 14th-least expensive in the nation in that category.

“The rankings show that Kansas has a healthy, competitive climate for vehicle insurance buyers, despite all the weather claims that we have seen over the past years,” said Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. “With more than 700 companies licensed to sell auto insurance statewide, the competitive rates are certainly good news for Kansas consumers.”

Factors that affect state-to-state differences in average expenditures and premiums include underwriting and loss adjustment expense; types of coverages purchased; driving locations; accident rates; traffic density; vehicle theft rates; auto repair costs; population density; medical and legal costs; per capita disposable income; liability insurance requirements; and auto laws, such as those concerning seat belts and speed limits.